Wishful
by mojojojo.noodles
Summary: What makes an animal really happy? Is there anything more important than a real friend? When Judy gets nightmares from the aftermath of the missing Predator Case, she is surprised Nick is one of her few supporters to get the help she properly needs. Also as more and more preys start to disappear around Zootopia; Nick realizes this new case is bigger than what it seems.
1. Chapter 1-Best Duo

Chapter 1

"Excuuuuse me Sir!" Judy zooms up to a monkey in a bearberry suit and briefcase who had just thrown a used Kleenex over his shoulders.

"I'm afraid there's no littering in the park." She points to a sign that has a picture of a cat with a bottle on the ground and an x drawn over it.

Nick watches as the monkey and Judy argues. He grins as Judy tries to explain that she had left her uniform at home and that today was her day off.

"Well I've never seen a bunny cop!" The monkey crosses and then uncrosses his arms; looks to the side and then snaps his head back angrily at Judy.

"Sir!" Judy folds her paws together and thumps her bottom left foot like a drum.

"I have been on the Zootopia Police Department for a year and gave out over 73,000 parking tickets. Trust me…A LOT of animals have seen me as a cop!"

"It's true," Nick comes up behind Judy, "They weren't always happy to see her…but they definitely saw her."

Judy turns and throws Nick an annoyed look to which he winks in return.

"Urghh….What is it with this day…?" The Monkey looks up and turns his long shriveled fingers towards the sky. Then he bends to pick up the Kleenex.

"Thank you Sir!" Judy's face breaks into a grin, "for making Zootopia a better and CLEANER place for all of us!"

The monkey mutters under his breath and throws away the Kleenex. He stalks off with his long skinny legs trailing the ground.

"Alright!" Judy leaps into the air and does a paw pump. She then turns with her paws placed on her hips and glances up smugly at Nick.

"See? I told you other animals would eventually respect my natural born authority. Well what do you know? An upper class Monkey taking orders from lil 'ol me."

Nick looks at Judy in amazement and scratches his neck,

"I don't know what to say, maybe we should take this new found confidence and stake out at all the public bathrooms in the city! Maybe in a year you'll have caught 73,000 animals who have littered toilet paper!"

Judy 's smile drops as she puffs up her cheeks and squints her violet eyes up at Nick. Nick smiles his signature lazy smile back at her with eyes half closed.

"Hmm…" Judy mimics her partner's expression and cups her chin with a paw.

" Maybe if I hang around your apartment every night after you get the Super Spicy coco tofu Curry from Red Panda town I wouldn't even have to wait 6 months."

Nick pushes his eyebrows together and drops his jaws a little in annoyance.

"D' you forget why I went to Red Panda Town in the first place Carrot? If a certain rabbit didn't insist on going to that Sailor Bunny exhibition, I would've never set foot in the place..."

A flush of pink spread across Judy's cheeks as she reaches up and scratches her ear. She gives a little cough and swiftly turns to look at the setting sun behind her. Zootopia was being covered in a soft blanket of gold and pink. Judy felt a wave of peace and satisfaction wash over her from head to toe.

"Alright! Another awesome day! High-five partner!" Judy raises a paw at Nick and waits for his paw. Nick shakes his head but smiles; then pushes his paw against her paw gently.

END Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2-Encouragement is Always Best

Chapter Two

"I just don't understand why that Squirrel would dig all those holes in the public park! And bury her acorns there for the sixth time!" Judy rambles on at top speed, "It is government property! You would think for a mature Squirrel she would learn to follow the rules ! Is it so hard to ask?!"

Nick grins at her lazily, "I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention, I tuned myself out after you complained about her the 6th time today."

"I spoke to her nicely and very reasonably and repeated myself a BILLION times!" Judy pulls down her ears in frustration and fumes.

"You bunnies…always so impatient…" Nick sighs and shakes his head.

"I am not!" Judy exclaims in offense, "I am calm as a cat…I just haven't slept well in a couple of days!"

"Suuuree." Nick stretches out the 'e' as well as his paws over his head. "I can tell by the sound of your voice that you're reaaallll calm."

"Hmpt!" Judy glances at Nick and then closes her eyes and turns her head swiftly in another direction.

"So last week... when that beaver who wouldn't pay his late parking fees and you got so mad it looked like you were doing jumping jacks….that wasn't you being impatient?"

Judy opened her eyes and blinked while twitching her nose. "Oh that? Well I had to step my foot down somehow! He was extremely unreasonable!"

"And 2 days ago when Flash and his friends were caught for speeding but took 30 minutes to find his driver's license….you didn't seem very relaxed during that time either."

"He took 30 minutes to reach in his pockets and pull out his wallet!" Judy exclaimed.

"Rrrrrrrright…." Nick smirks and whistles a little tune.

"Your memory is awfully good for someone who never pays me back for Tofu Coco Curry." Judy clucks her tongue, "I think if I charged you interest you wouldn't be able to pay rent this month."

"Really?!" Nick stares at her in surprise, "Were you really that generous? I have to make it up to you I promise….but I think I forgot my wallet at home today."

"Why am I not surprised?" Judy looks at him with half closed eyes and a deadpan look.

The two continue to bicker as they walk side by side down the street. It was a calm and relaxing sort of day.

"Relax huh….?" Judy muses to herself thoughtfully as she gazes up towards the blue sky and fluffy clouds floating slowly over both their heads.

"Come on in Judy." Chief Bogo gestures to the chair in front of his desk. "You wanted to see me?"

Yess!" Judy says brightly, "I just wanted to discuss something personal that's been bothering me lately. "

"What is it?" Chief Bogo asks curtly while shuffling through a massive pile of paperwork.

"Well I've just been under a lot of stress lately and would like to have a couple days off to recover." Judy smiles at Chief Bogo expectantly.

"What?" Chief Bogo turns his head towards Judy sharply, stares at her then goes back to sorting through his papers.

"No. We are too busy these days and we need all the officers we need. There was that bank robbery in Downtown last week. And two preys were reported missing this morning…that's a total of 12 preys missing this month! "

"B-but I have trouble sleeping…and I keep getting nightmares, and I am very easily agitated…."

"No means NO!" Chief Bogo explodes, "Listen Hopps, we are officers and we never get a break…it's part of our job! If you feel so …tired then just drink some coffee and pinch yourself! Now get lost I have a lot of work to do!"

Chief Bogo slams a binder labeled 'missing preys' on the desk and turns his back to Judy . Judy shrinks back with a twitching nose and fights back the tears stinging in her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry sir…I didn't mean to cause trouble for the team…I just…sniff," Judy gulps and takes a deep breath, and then turns around.

Chief Bogo sighs and softens his voice, "I know it's hard Judy…but it's part of our job. Every job has it's ups and downs…and I admit being an officer can be tiring , but think of all the lives you are helping. Think of and her family…they are so thankful what you did for them. Remember things like that and fight that tiredness!"

"…ok…"Judy sniffles and then walks out of his office.

Later that day Judy and Nick have lunch on the rooftop of the Police Building.

"So I asked Flash, 'hey what do you call a 4 humped camel?' and Flash says ,"pregnant with twins !" and I say 'Yeh! How'd you know?' and Flash says, 'Just a guess' and I say…..hey what's up with you? It's like you're not even listening!"

Nick looks at Judy hard for a moment, "Why are your eyes all pink and puffy?"

Judy quickly rubs her eyes, "It's a new style of makeup…we are trying to look really tired and model like."

"Well get rid of it!" Nick says, "You look awful! You should go and get your money back!"

Judy stares at Nick , widens her eyes and then goes, "waahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Christ!" Nick jumps up and backs away, "Ok you don't have to return it, you look amazing!"

"I don't know what to doooooooooooo!" Judy wails through her sobs, "I can't sleep through the night and I'm not hungry as much anymore….I wanted to take a couple of days off and Bogo just told me to drink COFFEE! Does he not know caffeine makes me even more AWAKE?!"

Nick watches silently as Judy sits on the ground and wails.

"I came to Zootopia to be a cop! And cheese cracker darn it I am a good one! If being a good cop means I have to do it on coffee and no sleep then I will! I will totally drink all the coffee Snarlbuck has!"

"Hey Hopps," Nick bends down in front of her and hands her a water bottle, "Save the coffee for later…drink some water for Christ's Sake…I think you just cried a river over here. Maybe if the pool ever has a shortage of water you could go over there and cry them some. "

"He..he" Judy laughs a little at the thought of her standing in an empty pool and crying, "That seems pretty funny…waaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh….How am I gonna get to work tomorrow?! I can't sleep…"

"….I don't know if you have read our work contract but section 9 might help you." Nick says slowly.

"Wahhhhhhhhhhhh….huh?" Judy blinks and stops crying.

"Chief Bogo!" Judy greets as he opens his office door and peers down at her.

"Hopps." Chief Bogo raises his eyebrows in surprise, "What is it? I'm really busy here…"

"It'll just take a second!" Judy squeezes past him and sits down in a chair.

"This better be good…" Chief Bogo grumbles and sits behind his desk. "So what is it?"

"I would like 2 weeks off for stress related issues." Judy grins up at Chief Bogo.

"Two weeks?! I thought we had already gone over this Hopps," Chief Bogo growls in anger, "I don't want to go through it again…"

"According to Section 9 of my police contract, it clearly states that the police department will cover all work related injuries. I just went to my doctor today and was diagnosed with acute post-traumatic stress disorder. The missing Predator case last year left me with trouble sleeping and nightmares. It also says in section 9 that the police force would pay up to 40% of medical fees."

"What?" Chief Bogo puffs himself up and flares his nostrils. "You cant just get time off because of a few nightmares… and this post traumat…what's it called again?"

"Post-truamatic stress disorder, it's a form of mental illness when someone has experienced a horrible event and can't get over it. I have a note from my doctor and I just gave it to HR and I got the ok. I just wanted to let you know before I leave for my treatment."

"B-but….W-what…..?!" Chief Bogo sputters helplessly as Judy leaves his office.

Judy goes out onto the balcony of the Zootopia Police Department and as soon as she steps up there she leaps into the air and yells, "YES!"

"Excited are we carrots?" Nick muses behind her.

Judy almost jumps out of her fur. "You scared the beezusus outta me!"

"So I heard from Carmichael that you'll be taking a little vacation?"

"That is right my friend. That is right." Judy grins from ear to ear. "I'll be going to the Day Hospital Program for outpatients at the Zootopia General Hospital. I heard they have a great program that teaches you to deal with stress and emotions."

"That's great Carrots!" Nick smiles at her, "remember to give me a call when you're done. I'll pick you up and treat you to some coco curry."

"Deal!" Judy beams back at him.

END CHAPTER TWO

(A.N: Hi everybody and thank you for reading my fic. I wrote it to bring more positive awareness to mental health and hopefully help aid in ending the stigma surrounding it. Please visit .ca/ for more information on mental health. Thank you. )


	3. Chapter 3-RELAX!

Chapter Three

Judy sat nervously in a small office on the first floor of the hospital. It has bright green wallpaper, a small bookcase and smells like vanilla lattes and Fuji apples.

"So You are Judy? And you work as an officer at the Police Force? " Judy's case worker Diana was a petite pig with a kind face and a smile that put her at ease.

"Yes." Judy stares at the pink pig in front of her. "I have worked there for about a year now. "

"I see Hon. Have you always lived in Zootopia?" The pig asks in a friendly tone.

"Not quite," Judy replies, "I moved here from Bunny burrow because of my dream of becoming a police officer."

"I see…" Diana marks something down on her papers. "So you mentioned getting some nightmares then?"

"Yes. I have been getting them for about 3 months now. Almost every night I have this dream of being chased by predators and I'm always out of breath by the end of it. It is affecting me so much that I am afraid to go to sleep at night. I am terrified of the dark and have a nightlight."

"Predators?" Diana looks up with some interests, " Have you had this happen to you before?"

"Yes…I had that happen to me before when I was on the Missing Predators case last year. "

"Wait a minute…" Diana removes her glasses and does a double take on Judy, "I knew I have seen you somewhere before…you were on TV before right? Giving that interview?"

"Yes I was…" Judy's nose twitches a little.

"Are you still afraid of Predators?" Diana asks.

"No…my best friend is a predator." Judy answers confidently.

"Well I think it's perfectly normal you are having these nightmares Judy." Diana closes her binder and looks at Judy with a smile.

"You see our brain sometimes stuffs down on traumatic memories such as abuse, well…that's a extreme example. In your case it was being chased by Predators. You were probably just too busy or scared to process those memories at that time. I suggest you keep a journal and just let out these thoughts and find a good friend to confide in…these things will be beneficial alongside the programs we offer here."

"Ok…I see. Thanks I will do that then." Judy gulps and feels overwhelmed with so much information.

"I know it's a lot to take in all at once," Diana smiles kindly, "Just do what feels right and comfortable to you."

"Thanks for the advice."Judy smiles gratefully, "I'll try that."

＊＊＊

Judy's first program was called Head Space.

"A chance to give your mind the healing it deserves. A lesson in Mindfulness…what is that? Like thinking about your mind extra hard?"

"Guess you'll find out…"Nick's voice trails off and then chuckles. "Maybe your head will get bigger because your mind will get so full."

"Huh?" Judy answers absentmindedly as she looks for her shoes,"…..oh was that a joke?"

"Took you long enough…"Nick rolls his eyes, "Anyways Carrots I gotta get back to work."

"Ok byes." Judy hangs up with a smile and shoves the phone in her bag.

*＊*

The Headspace class is held at the downtown community centre. Judy signs in at the front door and was told the class was being held 3 doors down the left.

Upon entering Judy met the curious eyes of a few students and took a seat on a mat. The class was organized in a circular fashion with colorful knitted cushions. At one end a familiar looking elephant sat with an impatient look.

"Oh…I remember you." Judy was suddenly hit by a flashback, " You're Nangi at Mystic Springs Oasis!"

"Yes you are correct…" Nangi stares at Judy calmly, "But I have no idea who you are."

"I'm Judy and I came last year to ask you some questions about a case with Nick…he's a fox."

Nangi stares at Judy and says slowly, "No….idea….."

Judy laughs awkwardly, "It's ok."

Nangi looks around the room, there's about 7-8 animals in the circle.

"Well…might as well start." She takes her trunk and blows it loudly, "Attention! WE ARE GOING TO LEARN HOW TO RELAX!"

Everybody gives a slight jump. The Skunk beside Judy puts a hand by her snout and whispers, "Trust me it gets better…"

"Ok! We have a new friend with us today!"Nangi gestures towards Judy and says,"Don't be shy! Introduce yourself!"

Judy gulps and stares at the 7-8 faces smiling at her expectantly.

"Hi! My name is Judy and it's my first day here for the Program. Nice to meet you all."

"Hi Judy!" "Hey Judy!" "Glad to have you here Judy!" A round of encouraging and welcoming voices surrounded her. Judy smiles and felt more at ease.

"So I'm going to give a little speal about Mindfulness for Judy's benefit." Nangi said," You know when you have some thoughts you don't like? Like thinking about how you are gonna run out of your supply of roasted peanuts in the future? Then you get really upset and your whole day is ruined?"

"Um…sort of." Judy nods in agreement.

"Well have you ever tried to stop thinking about those things?"

"Yes."Judy nods.

"Well it usually doesn't work right?" Nangi asks, "The whole point of mindfulness is to watch those thoughts and let them come, but focus on something like your breathing. Then you will find that your thoughts just leave naturally. "

"Hmmm…" Judy is confused but pretends she understands and nods.

"Just give it a try and see what happens. Let go of your control." Says Nangi.

*＊*

"So….How'd it go for your first day?" Nick asks as he greets her after her program.

"It was weird…"Judy says, "I have never sat so still before doing pretty much nothing."

"Ok….how do you feel?" Nick probs.

"I feel …nothing much. I feel pretty calm." Judy says truthfully.

"Apparently the more I practice, the calmer I'll be."

"Then practice!" Nick exclaims, "Calm is good! Calm is very good!"

"Ok, I'm going to be the calmest police officer in the Force! I'm going to set my alarm for 5:30AM tomorrow and practice sitting still and watching my breath!" Judy pumps her paw in the air.

Nick laughs. "It's just like you Judy to be super prepared and organized. I'll be expecting you to be super calm when you return to work."

*＊*

"So how is your sleep?" Judy's parents asks through her phone's monitor.

"Well, my psychiatrist prescribed me with some medication. I'm taking Seroquel XR 50mg and Lithium around 5pm everyday. I get tired and go to sleep around 9pm."

"You're taking medicine for sleep?!" Judy's mom's voice rose in anxiety, "What about the side effects?"

"Can't you just pray more and exercise?" Judy's dad asks in a worried tone.

"Well, maybe if my symptoms weren't so severe." Judy says, "but I feel this is the right choice for me. Of course medicine isn't the only thing that helps. I also go to groups, journal and talk with my social worker…oh and Nick has been really supportive."

"Oh…that Fox we met last time?" Judy's mom asks warily.

"Yes," Judy senses some uncomfortable tension and feels the need to stand up for Nick. "He's been really supportive."

"Look Judy…I don't know if I mentioned it last time, but our cousin Fanny runs a Naturopath Clinic. She says it's been very effective for rabbits like you…"

Rabbits like me? Judy feels a strange pang in her tummy. Am I really that different?

"Look mom and dad," Judy begins slowly, "I am really grateful for all your...your advice, but I think I have made a lot of progress and am on the right track…"

"All medicines are bad Judy! They don't solve the problem! They just suppress it…" Judy's Dad was very insistent on this issue.

"But my insomnia has been solved," Judy said hesitantly.

"But you have to be constantly on it!" Judy's mom yelps.

Judy felt guilt and tension in the pit of her stomach. It was getting close to bedtime and she was feeling more and more awake.

"Alright guys! Hate to do this but I've got to let you go!" Judy grins awkwardly. "Byes!" She quickly presses the hang up sign and sighs.

A month later…

Judy grins as she heads out the door and off to work. Nick, as usual is waiting for her outside.

"I must say your mindfulness practices are really paying off Judy. You seem really happy and your face is full of joy."

"Why thank you Nick!" Judy grins, "I guess my morning 15-mins of practice have been working!"

"Are you still getting nightmares?" Nick asks in concern.

"Once in a while…you know what? I think the whole experience with Bellweather shook me up more than anything. It made me realize I was unable to trust preys as well as Predators…everybody was the same if I didn't take the time to know them."

"And do you trust me after getting to know me?" Nick asks with a grin.

"Well…" Judy stares at him for a long time and then says, "I guess you're alright in my book."

"What do you mean by 'I guess'..?" Nick huffs.

Judy laughs and skips on ahead. The day was going to be a good one.

Chapter 3 ends


	4. Chapter 4-Hopps Family Reunion

Chapter 4

"Are we almost there?" Nick asks with a yawn.

"Yup! I can smell the Lucky Bamboo from here!" Judy takes a whiff in the air, "Carrot Wontons! Here I come!"

"We are going to the best grub place in all of Bunny Burrow." Judy glanced at Nick excitedly, "The Hopps family have held their reunions there every year!"

"So…"Nick picks at one of his ears, "how many cousins did you have again?"

"Well there's Stew, Calvin, John, Mary…Stew the 2nd, Calvin the 2nd, John the 2nd, Mary the 2nd…then well….there's a lot of us…like a couple hundred. You'll see."

"Right…" Nick mutters, "I am thrilled to meet them all."

"They are mostly carrot farmers," Judy smiles brightly, "Only a few of us had great aspirations. You are friends with the only police officer from the Hopps Family! Also my uncle Baron is the only dentist, my aunt Fanny is the only nutritionist. She has her own clinic the "Nutrition House"."

As Judy turns on the road 'Bamboo' they see a huge green structure with bright red lanterns and green stain glass windows. The parking lot is filled with vehicles.

"It's going to be hard to find a parking space," Judy hunches over and then nervously straightens her back. "Ah! I got one…I have to back into it."

After they parked, the two walks in through the main entrance. There's a small decorative bridge on top of a carp pond. Inside there are a few carps dressed up in mini red hats.

"Oh cute!" Nick exclaims.

A carp swims near them and opens his mouth to speak. "We had better be! We are paid by the hour!"

The waitresses are petite pandas wearing bright colorful qi paos (traditional panda dresses).

"Hi Judy! It's nice to see you again!" A large panda with a green vest greets her.

"Hi Mr. Liu!" Judy smiles back, "Have you seen my parents?"

"Your parents…? Maybe? You all kind of look similar,,,"Mr. Liu says and then did a double take, "My!My! What a handsome fox your friend is! Pray tell what is your name?!"

"Ahem…"Nick gives a slight cough, "My name is Nick. I work with Judy at the Police Department in Zootopia."

"Well enjoy yourself here! We have something for everyone! stir-fry carrots , lo-mein celery, bamboo dumplings, and kung-pao green beans, lettuce wontons and fortune carrot cakes with your own special fortune in the middle!"

"Will do Sir!" Nick nods.

When Judy found her parents, they were going through a bunch of dishes at their table. The main dining hall was filled with rabbits.

"We rent this place every year." Judy tells Nick. "You have got to try the carrot wontons…they are…"Judy pauses for dramatic effect, "AMAZING!"

"Judy!" Bonnie Hopps notices her daughter and then nudges her husband beside her, "Stu! Judy's here! And she's brought a friend!" Bonnie's eyes darts to Nick and then looks away quickly.

"Um…."Stu glances up from his carrot sushi rolls and looks at his wife, then at Judy and Nick.

"Sweet Cheese and Crackers…" Stu says in spite of himself, "Well hello there you young fox…Judy has told us a lot about you!"

"Dad…"Judy begins gently, "his name is Nick Wilde. "

"Nick is it? You have got a cousin named Nick too! A hardworking carrot farmer!"

"Judy can I have a word with you?" Bonnie beckons Judy to a secluded corner of the room. Judy follows her.

"What's up Mom?"

"Well…" Bonnie wrings her hands, "Nick seems nice and all…but I'm not sure this is the best place to bring him…"

"What do you mean?" Judy asks, "Oh don't worry he will eat anything…"

"I'm not talking about the food…but I mean, I just think him being here will make some of the other family members kind of…uncomfortable…" Bonnie seems almost embarrassed to say this.

"Why?" Judy asks.

"Because well…he's a fox." Bonnie pretty much whispers the word 'fox'.

"Mom…we are living in a new era in case you haven't noticed." Judy rolls her eyes.

"Judy…don't you remember when you were a bunny and attacked by Gideon?"

"But you guys run a business together now!" Judy explodes.

"We would never invite him to a private family gathering like this one…" Bonnie gestures behind her towards their hundreds of cousins.

"Fine…then I won't bother coming to any family gatherings myself in the future as well!" Judy grumbles and stomps off.

Judy walks back to find Nick and decides to tell him that they were leaving and going back to Zootopia. She sees a pink eared female rabbit alone in the corner.

"Hi Fanny!" Judy beams at her. "Haven't seen you in a long time! How have you been?"

A petite female rabbit in a white summer dress with pink ears and nose looks at Judy in surprise.

"Hi Judy," The female rabbit says brightly, "I haven't seen you in a long time either! How are things in Zootopia?"

"Really good!" Judy beams," Oh that's right you haven't been back since your graduation from medical school right? You should come and visit for a day! I could take a day off and hang out with you."

"That sounds nice," Fanny replies, "I really miss it too. The Nutrition House is not too busy these days. Also I need to go to Red Panda Town to pick up some herbs I'm running out of."

Fanny Hopps was a nutritionist that ran her local business in Bunnyburrow.

"Yeah come on down! You have my cell number right?" Judy asks.

"I think so…is it xxxxxxxx?"

"Yup that's the one!" Judy nods.

"Ok..I'll text you soon for a date that's good." Kelly smiles at her.

"Who's that?" Nick asks Judy as she waves goodbye to Kelly.

"She's my aunt Fanny, the one I told you about."

"For some reason I feel like I've seen her before." Nick says.

"Hmmm…whatever, let's go I'm done with this place." Judy shudders as she thinks of her parents. Nick didn't ask and they left the Lucky Bamboo.

End Chapter 4


	5. Chapter 5- Hospital Check-in

Chapter Five

"Chief Bogo said this morning there were 4 more prey missing cases…"Nick muses, "It's weird how the 4 were all from the vulnerable sector; an elderly cat, a patient from the hospital…a homeless doe…Judy are you listening to me?"

"Yeah…"Judy could barely keep the thoughts from cramming inside her head. "I didn't sleep much last night so….

"I thought your sleep was getting better." Nick frowns in puzzlement, "Did you tell your psychiatrist?"

"She's away on holiday right now…it's my fault, I should have contacted her sooner." Judy sighs.

"What did she say you should do if something like this happens?" Nick asks in concern.

"To go and check myself into the hospital…" Judy says with a yawn, "which is what I did."

"Wait….where are you?" Nick asks on the other line, "I thought you were at home."

"No I'm at the hospital." Judy answers slowly, "I'm waiting to be checked in to the psych ward soon."

Nick did a double take, "What do you mean….why?"

"Well…I am in psychosis right now."

"Psychosis…what's that?"

"It means…"Judy sighs and takes a moment to think of an appropriate term," I am bat-shit crazy as fuck right now ok?! I hit my landlord in the eye last night because I thought she was going to sell me to an organization that will harvest my organs."

"…"

"Nick?" Judy asks after the silence got uncomfortably long. "You don't think I'm a freak or anything right?"

"No of course not." Nick says quickly in a gentle voice, "I just have a little trouble understanding why...I mean how you got this idea…"

"I got to go, it's my turn next." Judy puts the phone on hold and heads to the counter. The raccoon nurse smiles kindly to her and asks her some questions.

"Name?"

"Judy Hopps"

"Family Doctor?"

"Dr.******."

"Current medication ?"

"Lithium 300mg and Seroquel XR 50mg."

"Reason for hospital admission?"

"Psychosis and insomnia."

"Ok, thank you…we'll call you in shortly."

"Hello Nick?" Judy said into the receiver again.

"Yeah Hopps I'm still here."

Judy sighs in relief, for some reason talking to Nick really calmed her down. "So right now I'm waiting for them to call me up….by the way Nick, did you check your Furbook messenger yet?"

"…."

"Don't check them please! I was out of my mind and I sent you a bunch of pictures of the paintings hanging on my wall because I thought they were surveillance camera…."

"It's fine…"Nick said gently, "Don't stress yourself over what I'm thinking. I understood you couldn't help yourself."

A wave of gratitude washed over Judy. She couldn't describe what the feeling was exactly, except that she couldn't even recall her parents saying something so compassionate to her. Maybe this is what pure, blissful joy felt like.

"I'll take a couple of days off work and visit you at the hospital." Nick said, "How long do you think you'll stay there?"

"No it's ok…"Judy said while trying to wipe her eyes as quietly as possible. "Zootopia needs you on the case. I probably will be here for a couple of weeks or so, but I'm getting a lot of help here."

"I'll come and see you anyways," Nick fakes a yawn, "life gets boring without anybody to make fun of."

"Hahahahah." Judy laughs, maybe a little too much for the joke. "Then I'll be looking forward to your visit. :D"

"I'll bring blueberries…" Nick smiles.

"And you will eat them all…yeah, I know." Judy teases.

At the end of the day, Judy thought as she looks out at the blue, blue sky. It's nice to have a partner you can count on.

END chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6- WTF happened

Chapter Six (What the hell happened last night?)

Doctor's Office

"So just remember you can always call us if you need a medication refill or something of the like. But in the odd case that I'm away and you experience psychosis. Then you must check into the hospital right away."

"What is psychosis?" Judy asked her psychiatrist.

"It's a delusional state where animals feel paranoid and hear voices, they think they are being attacked or hear and see Jesus or the devil. It usually happens after a long period without sleep if you have bipolar or schizophrenia. "

Judy nods slowly as if she understood. However she was still confused. The idea seemed so ludicrous to her. She shook the thoughts from her mind as she gathered her things to meet Fanny, her aunt. She was coming to visit Judy for the day.

GDO with Fanny Hopps

"Hi Judy!" Fanny greeted her warmly as she stepped off the metro at downtown Zootopia.

"Hi Fanny!" Judy reached over and took her suitcase from her. "Here! Let me help you with that."

"Wow…"Fanny did a 360 scan around and sighs in amazement, "it never fails to amaze me how huge and glamorous Zootopia is as a city."

They decided to take a rest at a nearby coffee shop.

"You used to come to school here right Fanny? I think my parents said it was Med School?"

"Yup!" Fanny smiled shyly, "It was a grand adventure for me. I never thought I would travel to the big city one day. You know exactly what I mean when I say it's a world of difference from Bunnyburrow."

"Why didn't you stay?"Judy asked, "It's such a fun city."

Fanny shook her head with a frown, "You know how shy I am Judy…to tell you the truth, I used to hate group work projects in Med School; Whenever there was any sort of meeting I would escape to the woods behind the school as soon as it was over. This place is for extraverts and animals with big personalities…like you Judy."

"Oooh." Judy didn't know what to say.

"Did I tell you I started dating someone lately? His name is Jeff; he's in the carrot farming business."

"That's exciting!" Judy quickly nods enthusiastically. "Where did you two meet?"

"Our parents knew each other and introduced us at a family bowling night. My parents really like him; he's a nice rabbit at the right age with the appropriate job."

"Do you like him?" Judy asked.

Fanny shrugs and then looks out the window, "I'll probably marry him though…my parents think I should have bunnies sooner than later."

Judy doesn't know what to say, it seemed absurd to her to marry someone she didn't care very much about. Thank goodness her parents never bugged her about this matter.

The waiter appeared with their drinks and set them down on their table. A blueberry smoothie for Judy and an iced cappuccino for Fanny.

"Oh!" Fanny called after the waiter as he turned to leave, "Can you please add whipped cream to my drink please? I'll pay extra."

"Sure!" The waiter answered warmly, "It's on the house!" Fanny was a very attractive female rabbit with pink ears and big round eyes.

"Hehe." Fanny chuckled to herself at a fleeting memory from long ago. "Judy do you know any males who love sweets?"

"Sweets?" Judy smiled in return. She thought of Nick and his passion of blueberries. "I'm not sure if the person I'm thinking about counts…he likes blueberries."

"Blueberries?" Fanny grins, "Those are delicious. Although the person I'm remembering didn't like fruits too much. Their favorite drink topping was whipped cream with salted caramel haha! I warned him he would get diabetes but he never listened to me…oh thank you!" Fanny nodded to the waiter who returned with her drink.

"Who was this? A friend?" Judy asked curiously, she had never seen Fanny talk about anyone with such enthusiasm before.

"Too sweet…" Fanny made a face after a sip and then winked at Judy, "he was more like my student!"

Shocking Realization

"So where's Nick?" Asked Fanny suddenly.

"Oh he's at work. There have been lots of preys missing lately so the force is working extra hard on it."

Judy explained.

"Hey do you mind asking him if he thinks I'm cute?" Fanny cuts in.

A strange painful feeling hit Judy's heart.

"I think I like him…."

"R-really?" Judy squeaked out.

Fanny bursts out laughing at Judy's face. "I'm just teasing. My bias is for silver foxes."

"Wolves?" Judy didn't think someone as sweet as Fanny would go for someone as …wild.

"Yup...in particular I have a thing for silver haired foxes." Fanny winks at Judy.

Psychosis

"So thanks for today!" Fanny hugged Judy before getting on the subway back to Bunnyburrow. "Good luck with Nick!"

"What do you mean?" Another strange feeling hit Judy's heart as she tries to smile awkwardly.

"Well…you guys are crazy about each other right?"

Judy turns speechless. Her mind turned blank.

"Listen," Fanny puts a paw on Judy's shoulder. "Don't lie to yourself and make excuses. And don't care what anybody else says. If you like him, who cares if he's a fox or a rabbit. "

"But I…" Judy starts to speak.

Fanny cuts her off again. "Or else you'll end up married to some rabbit you don't even care about and living your life for everybody else's sake. "

The subway starts to sounds its signal and Fanny quickly hops on. As though in a dream, Judy watches it pull away from the station.

What does she mean? Judy wonders, and why does my heart feel so many intense emotions right now?

Judy didn't sleep well for the past couple of nights so her walk was a little wobbly. She swayed back and fourth like a drunk animal as she headed down the street. Just as an antelope almost bumped into her, her left feet wrapped around her right side and pulled her to safety.

Huh? Judy blinks and stared at her left hand. It moved on its own and protected her…it was like it had a mind of its own. Judy looked at her left hand and waited…nothing happened. She shrugged and chalked it up to her tired mind.

As she walked home at the growing night, the streetlamps started to turn on one by one. She starts to think of Nick…and then tries to push him out of her thoughts as much as possible.

Nick is my best friend. "Yes…he is the best friend anyone can ask for…he's kind, patient and supportive and I totally want to date him…what?! NONONONO!"

Judy pounds her forehead and pulls down her ears. "This is crazy talk Judy…just go home and get a good night's sleep." She climbs up the stairs, unlocks her door and falls on her bed.

However, sleep does not come for Judy. Every night for the past week she has grown more and more afraid of going to sleep. As soon as she closes her eyes she feels the pressure of having to fall asleep…which makes her even less tired.

Also…she hears a weird scratching on her wall, at first she thought it was just her neighbors…but it feels more and more like a deliberate action.

You're being watched. A thought pops into her mind and sends her body in to panic mode. Her nose twitches and pupils dilate. She bolted out of her bed and flings open her door. To her amazement she sees her landlord sweeping up the stairs.

"Mrs. Ants?" Judy asked her landlord, who glanced in her direction before continuing what she was doing.

"Mrs. Ants? Why are you sweeping so late in the night?" Judy asked in a wavering voice.

"The stupid zebra couple on the third floor…" Mrs. Ants sighed and beckoned above her, "They always go running in the Sahara Square and then bring a whole buncha sand back with them. I'm just doing a little cleaning before I head to bed…"

 _She's lying. She is going to do you harm._ A voice spoke to Judy firmly. _She's going to drug you and sell your organs…._

A tremendous fear grasped Judy, and without even thinking about it she reached out and punched Mrs. Ants in the eye.

"Omg I'm so sorry!" Judy gasped and put her feet to cover her mouth. "Mrs. Ants are you ok?!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You're crazy lady!" Mrs. Ants shouted from the bottom of the stairs. She was flung on her back and was balanced on her back shell(Mrs. Ants was an armadillo).

"Omg…Omg…Omg…Omg….." Judy muttered to herself as she found a stair step to sit on. (Mrs. Ants was still swinging on her back and shaking her little fists up at the ceiling).

 _When you start hearing voices, go to the hospital and admit yourself._ Her doctor's voice floated into her head, _you don't want to stay too long like this without proper help. You could seriously hurt somebody like this._

"Ok Judy…it's time to go to the Mental Ward." Judy slapped herself across the cheeks lightly and then ruffled her ears. She walked down the stairs, pulled Mrs. Ants up, apologized and then went out to catch a taxi to go to the hospital.

End chapter six


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